Shaman's Spirit Animal: is it a familiar or not (and what feats work with it)?

[FiddlersGreen]

Does the Spirit Animal count as a familiar?

Spirit Animal wrote:

Spirit Animal (Ex): At 1st level, a shaman forms a close bond with a spirit animal tied to her chosen spirit. This animal is her conduit to the spirit world, guiding her along the path to enlightenment. The animal also aids a shaman by granting her skill bonuses. This spirit animal functions like a familiar using the wizard’s arcane bond class feature, except as noted in the Spirit Animal section.

A shaman must commune with her spirit animal each day to prepare her spells. While the spirit animal does not store the spells like a witch’s familiar does, the animal serves as her conduit to divine power. If a shaman’s spirit animal is slain, she cannot prepare new spells or use her spirit magic class feature until the spirit animal is replaced.
Don't have a bone in this either way, since whichever way it is ruled, I will want to do something with it:

1. If it counts as a familiar, I should be able to replace it with an improved familiar later on, right?

2. If it does not count as a familiar, I should be able to take eldritch heritage: Arcane bloodline and get a bonded item?

[Markov Spiked Chain]

I'm pretty sure it counts as a familiar with an effective wizard level equal to your Shaman level, so you can't take Eldritch heritage to get another one (but you could to stack up effective Wizard levels.) I don't think there's anything about having a familiar that would preclude you from choosing a Bonded Item with Eldritch Heritage, though.

Improved Familiar is a different problem. The chart was just cut and pasted out of the 3.5 SRD, with no discussion of what "Arcane Spellcaster Level" means. I interpret (and others here have agreed, although nothing official) this as "Familiar Effective Wizard Level" so that your Shaman level would qualify. I also interpet this to mean that Boon Companion would open up your access to Improved Familiars (on say a Wizard 1/Fighter 4.)